Aircraft



March 8, 1932. s 1,848,321

AIRCRAFT Filed Jan. 21, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor I C'mao 'CRESCA 4 ttorney Meirch 8, 1932. c, CRESCl 1,848,321

AIRGRAFT Filed Jan. 21, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 57 56 I 1 n ven ibr CARLO C/FE-S'CA flzmaai ih A itomey i provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, the craft vertically.

Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to aircrafts and "parent from a study of the following specifimore particularly to aircrafts of the monocation, taken in connection with the accomplane type which is provided with a propanying drawings, wherein like characters;

- pelling motor suspended beneath each wing of reference designate corresponding parts" 6 on opposite sides of the fuselage but it is throughout the several'views, and wherein i to be understood that this invention may be Figure 1 is a viewin frontelevation of an utilized in connection with any type of airaircraft constructed in accordance with this craft for which the same may be adapted. invention, the same being shown with the An important object of the invention is to. wings and power units in position for lifting an aircraft of the aforementioned character Figure 2 is a view in top plan of the invenwhich embodies means whereby the same may tion as'illustrated in Figure 1.]

be flown in horizontal flight and controlled Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the in the manner of a conventional aeroplane or aircraft with the difl'erent parts thereof in 15 whereby the same may be caused to ascend the'positions which they assume when the or descend vertically, as when it is desired craft ascends or descends vertically.

to takeoff from or alight in a restricted area. Figure 4 is-a top plan view of the inven- Another important object of the invention tion with the parts thereof in position for is to provide an aircraft of the above menflight in a horizontal plane.

1 tioned character wherein the same wings and Figure 5 is a detail view in vertical secpower units are utilized for sustaining and tion showing the wing supporting means and driving the aircraft when the same is travel-i the manually actuated mechanism for shiftinghorizontally as. an aeroplane or when it ing' one of sa d wings and the power units is functioning in the manner of a helicopter. thereof. v,

25 A still further object of the invention is Referring to the drawings in detail, the to provide an aircraft of the aforementioned reference character 1 designates the fuselage character which embodies manually operable of the. aircraft, the upper side of which is means for expeditiously causing the rotation curved downwardly toward the rear from an of one of the wings and power units thereon intermediate portion thereof and merges with 30 one-half of a revolution-when it is desired the lower side thereof to provide a substan- V to convert the aircraft from an aeroplane to tially pointed rear end as'best illustrated in a helicopter and vice versa. Figure 3 of the drawings. The fuselage 1 is A still further important object of the inmounted onthe wheeled landing gear desigvention is toprovide, in a manner as hereinnated by the reference numeral 5 after set forth, an aircraft of the aforemen- Within the fuselage 1 at a point rearwardly tioned character which embodies means of the forward end thereof, there is provided mounted on the fuselage to r i t rotatio f a metallic skeleton frame work 3 in the lower said fuselage in a horizontal plane when end of which is mounted the vertically disthe wings are rotating to lift or lower the posed bearing sleeve ethaving the rlght angu:

craft vertically and which further embodies larlydisposed' base portlon 5 integral on the an elevator which may be shifted to a ver-. w r end thereof. Acomplementary bearing "tical position to reduce resistance to vertical eve 6 18 mounted on he upper end of the movement of the aircraft, skeleton frame 3 in vertical alignment with 5 Still further objects of the invention are the bearing sleeve 4 and said sleeve 6 extends to provide an aircraft of the character set upwardly through the upper side of the fuseforth which will be simple in construction, lage and is provided'witha horizontally 'dlsstrong, durable, efiicient in its use and which posed fiat supporting plate 7, as best illusmay be manufactured at low cost, trated in Figure 5 of thedrawings. A turn- The foregoing and still further objects and table 8 is mounted for rotation on the supadvantages of the invention will become apporting plate 7 and anti-friction balls 9 are W disposed between said turntable and said supporting plate. The turn table 8 is provided with a central opening from which extends a vertical sleeve 10 which is in alignment with the bearing sleeves 4 and 6. A tubular standard 11 has its lower end fixed in the sleeve 10 and extends vertically therefrom. A housing 12 is fixed on the upper end portion of the tubular standard 11 and is in communication therewith, as clearl illustrated in Fig ure 5 of the drawings. conical cap member 13 is mounted over the upper end of the housing 12 in'a manner to close the same and said cap is provided with an inclined skirt portion to which is anchored the upper end portion of a plurality of supporting braces 14. The outer ends of the braces 14 are anchored to the inner sides of the vertically disposed bearing plates or members 15 and 16 which in turn are provided with the inturnedv channel forming flanges 17 and 18, respectively. Supportingbraces 19 also extend upwardly from the marginal portion of the turn table 8 to which their lower ends are anchored, to the lower portions of the bearing plates 15 and 16.

A central wing section 20 is rigidly mounted on the housing 12 and encircles the same and extends outwardly on the opposite sides thereof to the bearing plates 15 and 16. A horizontally disposed shaft 21 is mounted for rotation and supported in the bearing plate 15 and the housing 12 and extends into said housing and has fixed on its inner end the beveled gear 22 which meshes with a beveled pinion gear 23 fixed on the upper end'portion of the vertically disposed shaft 24 which is mounted for rotation in the tubular standaid 11 and the bearing sleeves 4 and 6. A

.pulley 25 is fixed on the shaft 24 adjacent its lower end and has trained thereover' the belt or cable 26 which extends to a point convenient for actuation by the operator of the aircraft or other person.

A vertically I disposed wing supporting" late 27 is fixed on the shaft 21 and mounted or rotation in the channel formed by the plates 15 and its flange 17 and anti-friction balls 28 are disposed between said wing supporting plate and the elements 15 and 17. A reversible wing 29 is -fixed on the plate 27 and the shaft 21 extends outwardly into said wing. The outer portion of the shaft 21 is to be rigidly connected to adjacent portions of the wing 29 at a plurality of points throughout its length to insure a connection of suflicient strength between the shaft an d wing to cause said wing to rotate with the said shaft at all times.

A fixed shaft 30 is-rigidly mounted in the bearing plate 16 and the side of the housing 12 is in longitudinal alignment with the shaft 21. A stationary wing 32 is rigidly mounted on a wing supporting plate 33 whichon the shaft 30. The shaft 30 also extends outwardly through the wing 32 and may be rigidly connected thereto at different points in the same manner. in which the wing 29 is connected to the shaft 21.

Power units in the form of engines 34 and 35 are supported on the lower sides of the wings 29 and 32, respectively, and the propellers 36 and 37 are operatively connected to said engines 34 and 35, respectively for actuation thereby in the usual manner.

A vertically disposed longitudinally extending fin 38 is mounted on the upper side of the fuselage l and extends substantially from the untapered portion thereof to the rear end thereof, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of thedrawings. The fin 38 is of substantially triangular configuration and hingedly mounted on the rear end thereof is the vertically disposed rudder 39. Adjacent its rear end, a horizontally disposed elevator 40 is pivotally mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane and said elevator is adapted to be disposed in, the position illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings for a purpose which will be presently set forth.

In operation, when it is desired that the aircraft fly forwardly in substantially a horizontal plane after the manner of a conventional aeroplane, the shiftable wing 29 is disposed in the position indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings and the propellers 36 and 37 will, of course, pull the craft forward. The elevator 40 is swung to a substantially horizontal position by means of the usual control mechanism therefor, not shown. When it is desired to cause the aircraft to ascend or descend in a substantia y vertical plane, after the manner of a heicopter, an operator rotates the shaft 21 through the medium of the meshed gears 22 and 23, the shaft 24, pulley 25 and actuating belt or cable 26 to rotate the shiftable wing 29 substantially one half of a revolution on the wing supporting plate 15 in a manner to disclose the propeller 36 and the entering edge of said Wing rearwardly, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. In this position the engine 34 will be disposed above the wing 29 and with both of the engines in operation, the wings 29, and 32 and the central wing section 20 will be caused to rotate as a unit in a horizontal plane as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2 of the drawings and said wing will thus function as a propeller in a manner to exert a vertical pull or lift. All of the supporting structure for the wing rotates therewith. through the medium of the turn table 9 mounted on the supporting late or flange 7. The reference numeral 41 esignates braces which extend from the upper and lower portions of the wing support-ing plates 27 and 33 to intermediate portions of wings 29 and 32 for strengthening the same. I

It is believed that the many advantages of an aircraft constructed in accordance with this invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction may be had which will fall Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is 1. An aircraft of the character described comprising a fuselage, a wing supporting structure mounted for rotation on a vertical axis on the fuselage, a wing rigidly mounted on the supporting structure and extending laterally therefrom, a wing rotatably mounted on the supporting structure and extending laterally therefrom, means on the wings for pulling the aircraft forwardly, and manually operable means for rotating the last named wing through one hundred eighty degrees,

prevent rotary movement of said fuselage with the wings.

In testimony whereof I a-flix'my signature.

Y CARLO CRESCI.

(180) in a manner to reverse the same and cause the rotation of both wings as a unit in a horizontal plane on the fuselage when the pulling means is in operation to exert a vertical lift on said fuselage.

2. An aircraft of the character described comprising a fuselage, a wing supporting structure mounted for rotation on a vertical axis on the fuselage, a wing rigidly mounted on the supporting structure and extending laterally therefrom, a wing rotatably mounted on the supporting structure and extending laterally therefrom in an opposite direction from the first named wing, power units on the wings for pulling the aircraft forwardly, manually operable means for rotating the last named wing through one hundred eighty degrees, (180) in a manner to reverse the same and cause the rotation of both wings as a unit in a horizontal plane on the fuselage when the power units are in operation to exert a vertical lift on said fuselage, and a vertically disposed longitudinally extending fin mounted on the fuselage rearwardly of the wing supporting structure to prevent rotary movement of the fuselage with the wings.

3. An aircraft of thecharacter described comprising a fuselage, a wing supporting structure mounted for rotation on a vertical axis on the fuselage, a central wing section 7 rigidly mounted on the supporting means, a wing rigidly mounted on one side of the supporting structure and extending laterally therefrom, a wing rotatably mounted on the opposite sides of the supporting structure and extending laterally therefrom, said wing hav- 

